Emma Watson has blasted her character in forthcoming film, The Bling Ring, calling her ‘superficial, materialistic, vain, amoral’.

In Sofia Coppola’s new film, the Harry Potter star plays Nicki, part of a gang who robs the houses of celebrities.

She told GQ: ‘When I read the script and realised that essentially it was a meditation on fame and what it’s become to our society, I had to do it.

‘The character is everything that I felt strongly against – she’s superficial, materialistic, vain, amoral.’

Watson added: ‘She’s all of these things and I realised I hated her. How do you play someone you hate? But I found it really interesting and it gave me a whole new insight into what my job or my role as an actress could be.’

She revealed she wanted to take such a radical role to avoid being typecast.

The actress said: ‘I was open-minded about doing anything, but the one thing I didn’t want to do was get myself into a corset because I was worried I would never get out again.’

The Bling Ring, which is based on real-life events, is released on July 5.